New York Butte

21-Jun-58

By: Dick Kenyon

On June 21-22, Ralph Merten, assisted by the DeDeckers of Independence, led a scheduled ascent of New York Butte. With a slow leisurely pace they knapsacked from the heat of the Owens Valley, up via the trail from Dead Mule Springs in Long John Canyon, to camp at the abandoned Burgess Mine in the cool heights of the Inyo Range. The summit was reached early Sunday morning, and everyone made it back to the cars by mid-afternoon--except two persons. They failed to make the turnoff to the trail to Dead Mule Springs, and continued along a jeep track to the south. One person became aware of his mistake and cut back and reached the trail. But the other person followed the jeep tracks all the way down to the valley floor at Swansea--around ten miles away from where the cars were parked.